23 pictures of the UAE during the pandemic by local photographers reflecting their feelings on the crisis

Quiet roads, empty mosques, deserted fairgrounds: these are the scenes that encapsulate the coronavirus crisis for photographers living in the UAE. The National contacted a few budding artists across the Emirates, to see how they've been capturing the moment during the country's national disinfection programme . While some have been incredibly active in their work, others have struggled to find inspiration. "I haven't picked up my digital camera for weeks now and it's impossible to send film rolls for processing, so that means I have to start from scratch," says Dubai resident Jandri Angelo Aguilor. Still, his images taken around Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are particularly poignant and striking. Haytham Achkar, on the other hand, has enjoyed capturing his excellent series of pictures that focus mainly on Sheikh Zayed Road and an empty downtown area. "They are all taken by a camera from rooftops," he explains. Achkar, alongside Bachir Moukarzel, also worked on the video of drone footage showing the city's empty streets, which went viral online. "But photography has always been my passion," he says. "And it was different to be able to capture the silence of Dubai through my pictures." Elsewhere, Winn Gomez started shooting his life indoors instead of looking outside. In particular, he worked on his food photography, as his wife began to cook up all sorts of new creations. "With a lot of time on our hands, we started going back to basics and cooking in earthen pots, using more natural ingredients, and not really ordering in any food," he says. Look through the photo gallery above to see more on how the UAE's photographers are capturing the crisis.

23 pictures of the UAE during the pandemic by local photographers reflecting their feelings on the crisis

The National reached out to a range of photographers to see how they're capturing the moment